Divorce a husband, lose a career… grapple with a murder.
TV journalist Elizabeth “E. M.” Danniher will tell you she committed two sins — she didn’t stay young, and she made an enemy of a powerful news executive — her ex. She used to break national news. Now her top story as the “Helping Out!” reporter at dinky KWMT-TV in Sherman,Wyoming is getting a refund for a defective toaster.
Tough, funny and determined, Elizabeth wrestles with isolation, keeping a professional edge, and an evolving self-image. Is Wyoming — the land of cattle, cowboys, tumbleweeds, and fewer than six people per square mile — her new home or a road to permanent obscurity?
Soon she’s in a battle of wills with ex-football player turned journalist Mike Paycik, who sees her as a handy rung on his career ladder. And there’s the matter of a deputy sheriff—missing or murdered? Elizabeth finds herself investigating at the insistence of a girl who’s set on proving her father’s innocence. Not that enigmatic rancher Thomas David Burrell makes investigating easy.
But Elizabeth won’t fade to black without a fight, no matter how final some might want to make her SIGN OFF.
Don’t miss any of the Caught Dead in Wyoming series by USA Today bestselling author Patricia McLinn: Sign Off Left Hanging Shoot First Last Ditch Look Live Back Story Cold Open Hot Roll
USA Today bestselling author Patricia McLinn’s novels—cited by reviewers for warmth, wit and vivid characterization – have won numerous regional and national awards and been on national bestseller lists.
In addition to her romance and women’s fiction books, Patricia is the author of the Caught Dead in Wyoming mystery series, which adds a touch of humor and romance to figuring out whodunit.
Patricia received BA and MSJ degrees from Northwestern University. She was a sports writer (Rockford, Ill.), assistant sports editor (Charlotte, N.C.) and—for 20-plus years—an editor at the Washington Post.
She has spoken about writing from Melbourne, Australia to Washington, D.C., including being a guest-speaker at the Smithsonian Institution. She is now living in Northern Kentucky, and writing full-time. Patricia loves to hear from readers through her website, Facebook, Goodreads, and Twitter.
I might have rated this higher if it hadn't taken me awhile to warm up to the characters. There wasn't really anything special about them that drew me in. In fact, the book starts out rather slow. E. M. Danniher was married until everything fell apart and she found herself demoted and working at a small television station in Wyoming. She was supposed to be a consumer advocate but it doesn't take long before she's thrown into the mystery of a missing sheriff's deputy. She ends up paired with Mike Paycik, who makes no secret of the fact he's interested in her and also sees her as a stepping stone to help further his own career.
The plot was very good and kept you guessing until the end. There were plenty of suspects to go around, including the wife, the mistress, the mistress's ex, and even the sheriff, the judge, and a prominent attorney. The missing deputy was not a nice person and had any number of enemies who might have wanted him dead.
As I said, I would have enjoyed this one more if the characters had stood out more in my mind. As such, they were just so-so in spite of the well-thought-out plot.
Elizabeth Danniher, a TV reporter in Sherman, Wyoming, investigates the death of a local deputy sheriff.
McLinn gives us plenty of twists and turns in this fast-paced mystery. Her unconventional protagonist is intelligent, witty and charming. Her settings are vivid.
I really enjoyed this book. The mystery was engaging and the characters were easy to get to know. The mystery itself had many suspects and motives. The author could have easily made the characters stereotypes but actually gave each character assets as well as flaws without making them seem comical or too exaggerated.
Highlights for me was the author showing how a small town can surround itself in a protective shield sometimes versus risking bad light on the community. Coming from a small town this is pretty accurate – I also liked the fact that the main character started to rely on her co-workers more throughout the book. It showed growth on both the characters and co-workers part as the relationship developed.
The reason I couldn’t give this book 5 stars lies in the main character. She wasn’t naturally likable and her inner monologues brought the story’s pace dragging down at different points in the story. So I just couldn’t give it another star.
The narrator did a fabulous job on the voices and I look forward to the next book in the series.
This is the first book I have read by this author. The slug line read, like Janet Evanovich only better. Of course that was intriguing since I love Janet Evanovich. Though I think Janet still wins with her quirky characters, this book definitely has more of a plot.
TV broadcaster Elizabeth Danniher has made the network bosses mad somehow (not really explained, which I would have expected in a book 1) and is banished to a small town TV station to anchor a consumer advocacy monologue. It pays the bills but is fairly uninteresting. One of the local townspeople has been accused of a murder. It's not her beat and she tries to stay out of it, but ultimately she finds herself digging into it and trying to find out who did it. She becomes convinced the man is innocent, but she has to put her life on the line to find out who did it. Because no one likes nosy reporters.
I really enjoyed this book. The characters are real and imperfect, just like anyone. She does a very good job not portraying a country Wyoming town like a bunch of hicks, which is probably what the average person would think before beginning reading. This town could be anywhere USA. The plot was interesting and held my attention. There were enough twists and turns that I could not easily deduce who the real perpetrator was. I cannot think of a single thing to criticize and that is rare. I will definitely check out other books by this writer.
Ms. McLinn is an excellent writer, and she knows how to craft an intricate, well-written mystery, too. I was kept guessing throughout the book, as to who the real villain was or even more than one villain that might have done the murder(s). Everyone was a suspect, and of course, I guessed wrong, so my hat is off to Ms. McLinn for creating such an interesting mystery with a large cast of characters in this small Wyoming town. The addition of the heroine being a TV news reporter also made for interesting reading. There was a touch of romance, too, though, Ms. McLinn left you guessing about that in this first book of her series. The only downside I perceived was I had difficulty "warming up" to the heroine (it was done in first person, so everything is seen through her eyes), as she was such an analytical person who really didn't address her "personal" problems throughout the story, except in passing. Probably her issues will be addressed in the next books of the series. Highly recommended for mystery fans, and I wouldn't mind reading more in this series.
Smart and intuitive investigative skills is a capability I admire in any lead character, whether it’s a police detective, a P.I. or in this case a reporter. TV journalist E.M. Danniher is quite a character at that. After losing out on her divorce and her top TV job on the East Coast, literally having been married to the person who was the boss in both, Elizabeth is being, let’s say "exiled" by the network to the very small town of Sherman, Wyoming, to cover consumer affairs segments for the local TV station. Elizabeth doesn’t have long to rest on her laurels, or time to re-evaluate her career path as the disappearance of a controversial Sheriff’s Deputy stirs quite a bit of talk in this small town. Elizabeth being the investigative journalist she is, can’t help herself and starts asking questions, which people in town don’t appreciate. I thoroughly enjoyed the narrative of this mystery novel. The content wasn’t gruesome and progression of the story was rather more rippling – the pieces of the puzzles coming together slowly, like they would in real life. Moreover, I enjoyed the compelling dialogues, and I look forward to more of Danniher’s adventures in the next books.
Written in 1st POV, I think the characters, although had good potential, needed more development and back story. Even after the story was over, the characters still had a vague, I don't know you feeling. The mystery and pacing of clues was pretty good, but this isn't a thriller or really a suspense book. There was a little too much revisiting the same potential suspects which you knew weren't really the suspects. Ghost dog had way more potential than he was given.
If you're looking for romance, this one didn't really provide anything until the last sentence of the book.
It took to about 40% of the book before I was pulled into the plot.
Entertaining story. Convoluted plot at times. And too many characters whose names begin with M! Myrna, Marty, Mona, Mike and there's also a peripheral Mel and a Matt. Couldn't the author use some other alphabet letters? Chuck, maybe? Laura? It's very hard to keep the characters straight when so many begin with the same letter. Having a father and son be Roger and Rog also got confusing. Calling a minor character Brent one time and Hanley another time didn't help. If other books in the series are available on Kindle Unlimited, I would read them, but they aren't enticing enough to pay for.
I enjoyed the characters as seen from an outsider. Elizabeth has had some bad luck but she seems to get a second wind when a young girl demands her help. As she makes new friends and stumbles into things she doesn’t completely understand, she finds a new home, and solves a murder or two. I will definitely continue this series.
A good read especially when you want to be distracted. Events are Not as funny as Evanovitch but there are little comments here and there that are enjoyable and insightful.
Looking at book covers I saw Patricia McMinn Wyoming series and decided to read it. I have been to several places in the state and I liked Is the deputy the synopsis. I read it and did not disappoint me. I desire to read the rest of the series. Elizabeth E.M. Danniher, a TV journalist is in Sherman, Wyoming until Her contract with the network expires. Instead of broadcasting breaking news, her beat the 'Helping Hand'. Gradually she hears about a sheriff deputy who went missing six months ago. A young girl asked Danniher to fix it so her Mother cannot get a judge to say she could no longer see her Father. Elizabeth's curiosity has her looking into the disappearance. She teams with the Sports director as he knows all persons who have issues with the deputy. At this time I was turning the pages as fast as I could and finished it in one sitting. Question Elizabeth needs an answer is a deputy dead? Did her Father fight with the deputy? Why was he so dislike by most residents? I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK AND and look it forward to reading book # 2.
That's the review blurb right on the cover of this book and I think it was a mistake on the author's and publisher's part to do so.
First, who wants to alienate loyal fans of a beloved author by bragging about being better?
Secondly, when I think of Evanovich, I think of hilarious, laugh- out- loud shenanigans, awkward sexual tension, memorable characters (secondary and lead) and mysteries. This book was NOTHING like that. I didn't find any of the book amusing. In fact, I don't think the author was going for humor at all. I didn't realize there was SUPPOSED top be any sort of sexual interest of any kind until the end of the book since there was 0 chemistry. I had a difficult time differentiating the maker characters because they all seemed pretty generic. The mystery was good though.
That's the really sad thing about it really. Had I read the book without that comparison in my mind, I might have better been able to enjoy the book for what is was. It had a slow start and I had trouble getting into it, but about halfway thru it really got rolling and became a lot more interesting. It was well written and the mystery was great and surprising without feeling completely out of left field once all was revealed. And I loved how many strong female characters were found throughout the book.
First time listening to this author and I was pretty impressed. My only complaint was the narrator. While she did a decent job, her style of narration (pauses during a sentence that sometimes make her sound like an AI reading the script instead of a human) is a bit off-putting. I eventually got used to it, but I do wish someone would tell her that it sounds so odd that it distracts from the story in a lot of ways. It's a shame, too, because she's decent with voices otherwise.
5 STARS Book 1 in the Caught Dead in Wyoming Series I was surprised who the killer was. It is a clean read. Lot of suspects, drama & good characters in this story. Victim no one liked. Elizabeth Daniher is a big deal in reporting but getting a divorce from her T.v. producer. So she was sent to the small town in Whyoming to finsh her contract. The manager & anchor try and sabatoge what little is left of her career. Elizabeth is a consumer reporter and one day the grade school class was touring the T.V. studio when one little girl told her she needed to save her father. Her mom was going to stop her from seeing her daddy if he was sent to jail. She needed to help her thats what the tv show said. Sheriff’s Deputy Foster Redus had disappeared for a week before they started searching for him. The day he had a fight with rancher Thomas David Burrell. Thomas admitted to having a fight and thier was blood found at his place. Thomas ex-wife told everyone that he was jealous of her having a boyfriend. Thomas had the town torn into fractions of who thought he was guilty and those who thought he was innocent. The sport annoucer wants Elizabeth looking into the story. Mike wanted to work with her and learn from her. Mike played professional sports till he had to retire from injury and he went back to small town to learn before going to national shows. Mike kept showing her different people who believe in Thomas. Even his Aunt who worked in sheriff office. Deputy whispered a trail for her to follow. Elizabeth kept trying to find out about the deputy who was missing but everyone told her more about Burrell. Tamantha Burrell is a charmer and she wants her daddy to get the help he needs. She is not shy about what she wants and that is Elizabeth making things right for her daddy. I enjoyed this book and hope that more come in the series. I will be on the lookout for them. I was given this ebook to read in exchange for honest review by Netgallet. 07/25/2012 PUB Bell Bridge Books BelleBooks 232 pages ISBN-13: 9781611941609
Rating PG This is a straight up mystery story. Rated PG because it's probably not for elementary age children, but it's certainly appropriate for middle school up. No sex No violence described in depth - it's a murder mystery so of course there's been some violence. No strong language. Some humor.
The main character is starting new job at a TV station in nowheresville Wyoming having been ousted from her previous high profile job in the big city. Leaving her previous job is entangled with a messy divorce, so it's not incompetence that has landed her in a small town in a low-population state.
Plot: a well-known resident with honeys all around town is found dead in his car off a rarely-traveled road. Of course, as these stories go, all the evidence seems to point to one person as being the perpetrator, but our heroine doesn't think it all adds up. The investigating proceeds. Others might guess whodunit, but I certainly did not.
Another reviewer criticized the writing as being too much like Ms. McLinn's romance novels. I'm not a romance novel reader, and can say that I encountered nothing goopy along those lines. Read for the pleasure of the mystery to be solved.
What a fantastic Murder mystery novel by Patricia McLinn. Sign-Off was not only addicting and riveting, but a pure “who done it” joy. What an entertaining book. What could be more fun than a small Wyoming town, Cowboys, a City Slicker Reporter, add to that a murder, which points it’s emerging fingers in everyone’s direction. This was one of the best Murder mystery books I’ve read in a long time, it kept me guessing until the explosive conclusion. Can you solve it before the reveal??? Give it a try!! It’s definitely worth the investigative thrill!!!!
Well I didn’t really finish this book. I read 627 out of the 823 ebook pages. I thought it was better to stop. I just didn’t get the hang of the characters. It seemed to me that there were constantly new ones. Unclear american, to me, slang didn’t help either. I have tried but no, not my style.
Pleasant Wyoming beauty, developed characters, well plotted and twists enough so the bad guy(s) aren’t too far ahead of their deserved end. Clean (long) cozy and funny. Recommended.
I was trying to decide on my rating on this book for a while until I changed from a 3 to a 4. I have lived in Wyoming and found it a bit a different place than the author. I did find the story an intense read that follows Elizabeth “E. M.” Danniher as a TV journalist whose opinionated and strong-willed mind could get her in trouble.
Pretty good murder mystery/newspaper tale. Since I long ago worked at 3 newspapers early in my graphic artist career (before and during getting published as an author myself) I recognized all of the quirky characters. Nice job, Patricia.
Enjoyable introduction to this series. Several characters I could really grow to like. Enjoyable pacing. Kept me guessing but not too crazy. Interesting to get the details on the TV news workings and also the Wyoming culture. I’ll definitely read the next one.